Musical H&S

[mac.calder]

I am currently working on a hotel (for the builder) - our max occupancy for the event spaces was actually dictated far more by liquor licensing laws than by fire evac - and apparently that is quite common according to the fire consultant I was talking to. So it certainly reinforces that you need to make sure you are engaging the correct people when investigating - because a commonly held belief (venue capacity is limited owing to fire evac capabilities) may very well turn out to be incorrect.

[Jivemaster]

The local Fire Service will offer good information on statutory fire compliance for your assistance and safety. Your entertainments licence will tell what the approved occupancy is.

[ImagineerTom]

the OP might get lucky and have a local fire service with licensing staff still but generally they don't exist any more and don't want to get involved (especially in something as specific and niche as the regs for a theatre) - your local authorities Building Control / Buiding Regs team will be able to offer more specific advice and their main remit is to advise people of the regulations they are required to follow so they at least do have people used to answering this type of question. In my experience though you generally find that because of the niche nature of theatre all the above really don't have a clue and would much rather you submitted a proposal to them (with sums, drawings and references explaining your conclusions) which they then approve or reject.

[Paul TC]

the OP might get lucky and have a local fire service with licensing staff still but generally they don't exist any more and don't want to get involved

 

 

You can also have issues with multi-purpose usage of an area/ building or room and conflicting requirements.

 

Some years ago was involved with a local church and they had an after-school club wish to use a room in the church hall premises. The Fire Service under the Children's Act were required to carry out an inspection, and they required a window to be removed and a door inserted under the regime they were inspecting, with a normal lock. This was despite the same room with a single exit having a public entertainments licence for 50 persons.

 

This then had to be a fire door with a push latch as the room was licenced, which then had to have a means to secure it against a small child releasing it, but be operable by an adult. As it was an additional escape route, the fire door then had to have a Non-Maintained Emergency Light fitted over it in line with all the other building exits.

 

Because it was now a Fire Door rather than just a door as required initially, the door also had to be made wide enough for disabled access.

 

As the new exit opened onto a grass area a paved path was required to the public highway (5 metres away).

 

 

But the building also contained a public library and the new door modified the escape route from that section of the building, so we had to change the non-maintained fitting proposed to a maintained fitting to make the exit clearly defined to someone coming into an unlit space, remove curtains from the former window opening and provide a full height side vision panel to the new door which was fitted with frosted glass and provide additional signage.

[laseranger]

The Law of unintended consequences stikes again!